Motor-vehicle



B. H. SMITH. MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICA ION FILED DEC- 27,1917.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

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A TTOR/VEYJ' B. H. SMITH.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-27. I917.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

PATENT orrlcs.

Application filed December 87, 1917. lerial 10.8%,018.

palnlying drawings, forming a part thereof. 7

y lnvention relates to motor vehicles and its object is to provide a light parcel delivery vehicle of. simple construction. More specifically it relates to a novel design and construction of a vehicle frame and to an improved manner of body suspension.

Another object of'the invention is to provide means for air cooling an internal combustion engine located back of a part of the vehicle body. Y

In order that m invention may be thoroughly understoo will nowproceed to describe the same in the following specification, and will then point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings igure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle made according to and embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same vehicle.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a similar vehicle, showing a preferred form of construction of the connections between the front wheels and the vehicle frame.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

1'0 designates a box-like body at the forward part of the vehicle secured to side frames 11, the rear portions of which are bent toward each other to form supports for theaxle 12 of a motor driven wheel 13. 14 designates another part of the frame, similar to that of a motor cycle, connected with the axle 12 and with the rear end of the body 10. This supports an internal combustion engine 15, a drivers seat 16 and other parts essential to the operation and control of the engine and its connection with the wheel 12, which parts form no part of this invention. 17 is a vertical post, a part of the frame 14 at the forward end thereof, directly backof the body 10, through which passes a steering post 18 to the upper end of which the steering handle-bars l9'are afiixed.

The front wheels 20 are'mounted on-stub axles 21 which extend horizontally from up right steering spindles 22 from the lower arts of which extend the steering'arms 23.

' atented Mar. 1, 1921.

he upper and lower ends of the spindles 22 are constructed to form cylindrical shanks which rotatively fit'in forks 24 and 25 respectively. The upper forks are pivotally connected with the ends of brackets 26,'the

other ends of which are pivotally connected with the vehicle body 10 at 27.; The lower forks 25 are-similarly'connected with the opposite ends of transverse leaf springs 28 upon which rests the body 10 and to which.

the springs are suitably affixed. It is under- .stood of course that there is suitable con- "necting mechanism between the steering post' and the arms 23, such as indicated in Fig.2 and designated generally by the reference numeral .29. Another form of suspension for the vehicle on. the forward wheels is shown-in Fig. 4 in which the wheels'20 are mounted on stub axles 21 which extend from collars 40 from the opposite-sides of which the steering arms 41 extend. Vertical rods 42 pass through these collars and through forked arms 43 and 44 of a cross frame 45, and are secured thereto as by nuts 46-47. Between the collars 40 and the arms 43 are interposed springs 48 which sustain such of the welght of the vehicle as is borne by the front wheels. Between the collars 40 and the arms 44 recoil springs 49 may be placed 1f desired.

In either of these structures the distance between the front wheels is extended, the points of spring suspension spread apart so that the maximum, spring action is comeldent with the axes of the steering spindles 1n one case and with the stub axle collars in the other case. Thus the stability of the vehicl e is increased andat the same time pro- VlSlOIl is made for ample steering movement of the front wheels.

As the body 10 is in front of the engine 15 it cuts 0a the air current due to the movement of the vehicle, and inv order to overcome this difficulty an air scoop 30 is placed under the body wltli a duct 31 leading up to a flaring outlet 32 directed toward the ribbed cylinder of the engine. p Structures of preferred form and construction have been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing ways in which this invention may be used, but the inposite sides, each of said'arms having a verventive thought upon which this iohing springs 51st surrounding said guide tion is based is broader than these illustrative embodiments thereof, and I therefore intend no limitations other than, thosefimposed by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A vehicle having a frame, a motordriven wheel near one endthereof, a pair of steerlng wheels near the other end thereof, said frame having forked arms at lts'optical guide rod aflixed thereto, oscillatory collars surrounding said rods and vertically movable thereon, stub axles projecting from said collars, said steering wheels being r0- tatively mounted on said stub axles, steering arms projecting from said stub axles'toward the center of the driven Wheel, steering,

means intermediate the driven wheel and the steering wheels, and connections between said steering means-and the steering arms, compression springs surrounding said guide rods between each of said collars and the upper fork of its respective arms, and cushrods between each of said collars and the lower fork of its respective arm.

driven wheel near one end thereof, a pair of 'steeringwheel's-mar ne other end thereof,

forked arms at the opposite, sides of the frame, s ubstantially vertical guide rods carried by said forked arms, oscillatory collars surrounding said rods and vertically'mow able thereon, bearings for the steering wheels carried by said collars, steering means intermediate the steering wheels and driven wheel, steering connections from said steering means to the steering wheels, compression springs surrounding the guide rods between the collars and the upper forks and cushioning springs surrounding the guide rods between the collars and the lower forks of the forked arms.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26 day of December, 1917.

BRONSON H. SMITH. 

